At a community open house on Wednesday, the utility company will offer a first glimpse inside its 27,000-square-foot complex of conference rooms, kitchens and kiosks.

Community Open House

Open to the public, this is a chance to see how technology is influencing the world of renewable energy, green building and energy efficiency. There will be building tours, live cooking presentations and an inside look at the model “Home of the Future."

When: Wednesday, Jan. 18, noon to 4 p.m.

Where: 4760 Clairemont Mesa Blvd (Diane Shopping Center), San Diego

“We’re really hoping to use the center to interact with the customer and show how they can save money,” said Ted Reguly, director of customer programs and assistance for SDG&E.

Inside the $7.5 million facility, the public can take a close-up look at the latest options for lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. There’s an emphasis on conveniences and automation that can help reduce utility bills.

Much of the green technology on display is integrated into the building, from carpetlike flooring made from tires to a broad ceiling fan with blades like an airliner’s wings.

The center’s own energy consumption — and solar energy production — can be viewed over time on touch-screen displays inside the building’s entrance.

SDG&E is the last of the state’s large investor-owned utilities to open its own energy education center. Until now, the California Center for Sustainable Energy, a third party to customers and the utility, has produced and played host to energy efficiency programs paid for by ratepayers at its own facility about four miles away — the San Diego Energy Resource Center.

FURTHER READING

By year’s end, SDG&E will take charge of that programming and an annual budget of more than $1 million.

Where other states rely on third parties to help the public conserve energy, California has firmly thrust utilities into the role of raising the public’s awareness and effectiveness at saving energy.

Consumer advocates question whether California’s utilities, which derive profits from infrastructure, are the right ones to spearhead the movement. The effectiveness of SDG&E’s Energy Innovation Center will be under scrutiny as it opens.

“It’s unclear to me — given the cost of the building — the value in terms of raising consciousness about energy efficiency in the community,” said Nicole Capretz, associate director for the Environmental Health Coalition in National City.

SDG&E will recover its construction costs from ratepayers across San Diego and southern Orange counties — along with a profit based on a standard rate of return approved by state regulators. That return rate was most recently set at 8.4 percent for SDG&E’s required revenues.

The center is likely to boost the image of SDG&E as an environmentally conscious utility, but customers might benefit more from direct energy efficiency rebates and assistance, said Mindy Spatt, a spokeswoman for the Utility Reform Network.